PHOTOS: Abandoned Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp

The sign outside the now defunct Camp X-Ray reminds visitors that it is off limits. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA – Camp X-Ray received the first prisoners in the War on Terror in January 2002. Suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fighters arrived shackled wearing orange jumpsuits, blackout goggles and face masks. They were on their way to eight by eight cube cells once used to house refugees passing through the naval base. Images of the detainees kneeling on the gravel surrounded by chain-link fence, barbed wire and US military service members have stuck in the heads of Americans ever since. The camp only lasted four months before the majority of the detainees were transferred to a newly constructed prison-style facility named Camp Delta.

The sign outside the now defunct Camp X-Ray reminds visitors that it is off limits. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Captain Greg McElwain unlocks the gate to the now shuddered Camp X-Ray early in the morning. When detainees first arrived they all passed through these gates on the way to the chain-linked cells. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The now abandoned tactical operations center was where troops would monitor the comings and goings of the detention camp. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

A walkway separated the two sides of Camp X-Ray detention camp. Detainees would periodically be taken from their cells and placed on golf carts to be taken to the interview and interrogation buildings. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The detention cells were simply chain link fence enclosing a cement slab with a corrugated metal roof. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Concertina wire, a super sharp version of barbed wire, topped the fence surrounding the now defunct detention camp. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Each cell had a pipe with an opening providing the detainees with a place to urinate. The pipe runs through the middle of a cellblock so that if a detainee is urinating, he is facing another detainee’s cell. The detainees were given a bucket for when they needed to defecate. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Though not large, Camp X-ray could hold up to 299 detainees at a time. Since being abandoned, nature is the only occupant. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The skeleton of an animal lies just outside an empty detention cell. Since being abandoned, nature is the only occupant at Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Empty detention cells in Camp X-Ray, which was abandoned in 2003. Nature has since taken over. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

One of the gates at the abandoned Camp X-Ray is left open. The remnants of tire tracks still remain. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

A block of detainee cells stands empty in the early morning light. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The view toward the exit gate in the abandoned Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

One of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The rusted out corrugated metal roof of one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The detention camp viewed from one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The shadow from one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The detention camp viewed from one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

A block of detainee cells viewed from one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Looking down the ladder from one of the many watchtowers looming over the now defunct Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

Dusty chairs are piled in what was once one of the interrogation rooms at Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

An empty room in the building once used to interrogate detainees who were brought to Camp X-Ray. The camp was originally used to hold troublesome refugees in the early 1990s and was repurposed in 2001 to hold detainees in support of the War on Terror.

The camp has been abandoned for over 13 years and nature has begun to reclaim what was once Cuban countryside. At the end of his presidency, George Bush said that it was time to close Guantanamo. President Barack Obama declared from the start that Guantanamo Bay would be closed with in a year. There are still 119 detainees being held in camps just a short drive from the now defunct Camp X-Ray.

About Medill Washington

The stories here were reported, written and produced by Northwestern University graduate journalism students in the Washington program of the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications . Most also were published or broadcast by media organizations served by the school's unique news distribution plan. We specialize in enterprise reporting, multimedia and online journalism, as well as on accountability, working to uncover misbehavior by people in power.